Roger Williams University

An Inside Look

All graduate programs at Roger Williams University share a few common traits: they prepare our graduate students to serve others with purpose and vision and provide learning experiences that stretch far beyond a traditional classroom.

Backed by more than 50 years of academic rigor and an outstanding reputation as one of the area’s top universities, Roger Williams University offers more than a dozen master’s and certificate programs in a variety of disciplines, including architecture, art and architectural history, and historic preservation; clinical and forensic psychology; criminal justice and cybersecurity; law; leadership; literacy education; and public administration.

Small classes taught by faculty members with real-world experience are at the heart of an RWU education, so you can expect individual attention, personalized advising, course work tailored to your interests, and access to all the resources the University has to offer. Students can bolster their résumés with a wealth of internship and research opportunities. In addition, RWU offers several graduate assistantships and flexible scheduling with full-time, part-time, and online options.

Built on idealsThe principles and philosophies carried throughout the University date back to our namesake, Roger Williams, founder of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The University has dedicated itself to the ideals advocated by Roger Williams himself—education, freedom, and tolerance—and honors his legacy by modeling a community in which diverse people and diverse ideas are valued, intellectual achievement is celebrated, and civic responsibility is expected.

Our studentsGraduate students at RWU come from across the country and around the globe to study alongside faculty who are equally as geographically and culturally diverse. Take advantage of the opportunity to interact with students outside your discipline and gain insight into other cultures and viewpoints, critical parts of the graduate student experience at RWU. Our students also come with a variety of personal and professional experience—recent undergraduates, young professionals, and mid-career students all call RWU home. We are also proud to have a strong active duty military and veteran population.

Location Situated on a peninsula overlooking the picturesque Mount Hope Bay, RWU’s main campus in Bristol, Rhode Island, is conveniently located only 20 miles from Providence and 60 miles from Boston. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the beach, take your surfboard out on the water, grab a lobster roll, or take in a concert or WaterFire in Providence, there’s something for everyone only minutes from campus. And you can’t miss trying some of our local culinary favorites— Del’s lemonade, Rhode Island clam chowder, and even coffee milk!If you’re looking to stretch your wings, an hour’s drive can take you to Boston, a city rich in history with an abundance of things to do: great nightlife, food, concerts, and more. You may have heard of some of our local sports teams too! Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins games are all just a short drive or train ride away.

Degree programsAll graduate programs at Roger Williams University share a few common traits: they prepare our graduate students to serve others with purpose and vision and provide learning experiences that stretch far beyond a traditional classroom.

Want to serve and protect our communities? Consider our M.S. in Criminal Justice or M.S. in Cybersecurity programs. While our criminal justice program has a dynamic on-campus option, both programs are also offered online. What makes these programs stand out? Take a quick look around the police units across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find one without a law enforcement professional from one of our cutting-edge programs.

Have an eye for design or an appreciation for preserving the past? Look no further than our School of Architecture, Art, and Historic Preservation (SAAHP). Our NAAB-accredited Master of Architecture program has produced award-winning and world-renowned architects working around the globe. Drawing on our strengths in architecture, our M.A. in Art and Architectural History allows history and art lovers to forward their passions with careers in teaching, museum curation, and more. While our architecture students focus on creating, students in the M.S. in Historic Preservation program look to preserve and restore structures, monuments, and parks that are lasting symbols of our past. Want some good reasons to study in the SAAHP? The School offers competitive scholarship opportunities, paid internship placements as part of the Career Investment Program, practicing “firms in residence” who teach our students, study abroad activities, a women’s career network, and more.Interested in studying human behavior and analyzing it in a clinical or justice system setting? Take a look at our M.A. in Clinical Psychology and M.A. in Forensic Psychology programs. Among our most competitive and academically challenging offerings, our psychology programs have an extremely high job placement rate—nearly 100% within six months of graduation—and place students in a wide range of internships and practica. Study alongside cutting-edge researchers and practitioners who will prepare you for professional practice or further study in doctoral programs at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country.

Do you have a passion for shaping government policy or leading organizations to be more effective? Learn more about out our M.S. in Leadership or Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) programs. Offered in a hybrid format, these programs are available in the evenings and onlinethrough our Providence campus, making them ideal for working professionals juggling personal and work commitments. Courses are taught by faculty who are both academically and professionally qualified, bringing a wealth of experience to the classroom.

Ready to make a deeper impact in the classroom? For students who already possess initial teaching certification, our M.A. in Literacy Education program offers advanced course work for students who wish to earn a master’s-level credential and obtain certification as a PK-12 Reading Specialist/Consultant in Rhode Island and in member states of the Interstate Certification Compact (ICC). The program is built on a cohort model in which students follow the course sequence together as a group. In-class study is complemented by a series of field experiences to provide optimal applied learning opportunities for our students.